The Shadows of a Moonless Night: An Alternative Ending for Reylo fans
by TheatreJunkieJess
Summary: "What happened?" Kylo wiped his hand across his mouth and glanced at the scarlet smears across his skin. He smiled wickedly, "You, actually. Lord Snoke believes you are my weakness, that you may return me to the light, saving my broken soul yet." Her eyes widened in shock and he chuckled quietly. "I wouldn't get your hopes up, my Rey of light, I will never serve the Jedi."


Kylo strode purposely through the metallic corridor, his black cloak trailed behind him as he jerked a hand roughly through the air. The doors threw themselves open, crashing into the walls as he entered.

A closer inspection would have revealed the way he slightly leaned to his left, favoring the opposite side of his body, or the way his skin now resembled a ghostly pallor. Of course, no one ever got a closer inspection of the dark knight, he made certain of it.

His power was unsteady in this moment, surging through him as his emotions raged within. Hate, anger, betrayal, and… something else.

With a quick wave of his hand, the doors slammed shut again, slightly bent from his carelessness.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and raked his fingers through his thick, dark hair. He flinched as his hand brushed against a fresh wound.

The room was spinning around him, dancing across his field of vision as his head throbbed mercilessly.

He coughed and spit out the blood that had been accumulating in his throat.

How long had he endured his torture? When the Supreme leader took over his mind there was no track of time. It was always the same, he became a spectator, watching his own body being thrown into the air and crashed down on the steel ground. Again, and again.

His resistance was growing, but not quickly enough and Snoke knew his.

Of course he did...naturally the severity of Kylo's punishments had increased in response.

The darkness pooled into him, feeding off his anger, igniting his hatred of Snoke, of The First Order, of the Resistance, of Hux, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker.

In truth, it was all the same. Light side, Dark side, a never-ending chess match where both players had manipulated him, lied to him, caused him torment. At least on the dark side Kylo was growing more powerful. His volatile emotions fueled his pull with the force. Eventually he would take whatever he wanted. He would form a new world, No Jedi, no Sith, just the power of the force…

_and the girl..._

Closing his eyes, he saw her face in his mind's eye. He drew a deep breath and his hands steadied. For a moment the rage within him quieted. The eternal midnight of his mind softened to an evening dusk.

"You were wrong."

His eyes snapped open at the sound of her voice and he found she stood before him, so clear he swore he could reach out and touch her. For a moment he thought about it. His gaze locked on her innocent, childlike eyes which danced with hope; hope and a feisty defiance as she glared at him.

A different sort of heat blazed through Ren's veins.

Her cheeks reddened. Instinctively he quirked an eyebrow. Could she read his thoughts?

_How intriguing. Who was this little nothing from nowhere who radiated with power?_

Kylo licked his lips,

"What was I wrong about?"

"The resistance is not dead. We grow stronger, though we are few in numbers we have something you don't. We have hope. We have loyalty, and we have-

"Skywalker, yes I heard him with you. You long for him to take you under his wing, teach you the ways of the Jedi. You cling to ideals and the belief that saint Skywalker will help you find your peace."

Kylo sneered.

"You're better than that Rey, I've seen it. I can sense the power within you. The endless possibilities...I _know_ you Rey. I _feel_ you."

"You know nothing."

"And what do you know? That Skywalker will save you? That the world is black and white, good and evil? That I am a monster?"

"You are a monster."

"Yes, I am...but why am I a monster?"

"You turned your back on those who loved you, how could you be so weak as to fall prey to the dark side? You had parents, a family, who all loved you and you just...you walked away! You killed him, you killed your own father! You're revolting."

She spat the words like venom, and he nodded in response. He loved fighting with her, the way her fury brightened her eyes as she screamed at him, reminding him of his horrendous deeds.

His pulse quickened.

"I know you hate to hear it, but I grow stronger yet."

She eyed him carefully,

"Looks like it, you're bleeding all over the place."

He shrugged,

"It'll heal."

She pursed her lips,

"I hope it doesn't. The world would be much better off without you."

Kylo regarded her,

"Such hateful talk for someone training under Skywalker...I know you feel it too, the pull to the dark. It excites you."

"No, it doesn't."

"I can feel your mind Rey, I can read it in a way that...I taste the desire in you. I can teach you, all the things he won't. I know his all of his tricks, and more."

"Is that why I bested you, gave you that scar across your face?"

He traced the now-healed wound she'd inflicted on him.

"Ah yes. I paid the price from Lord Snoke after that failed encounter with you...You took me off guard. I've never felt connected to anyone the way I felt that pull towards you. You caused me to lose focus, something that never happens. For whatever reason the force has entwined us... how peculiar."

He gazed at her and made no effort to hide the way her presence excited him.

"You'll come to me Rey, I know it, and I'll be waiting for you."

She trembled as she grit her teeth. She reached for something he couldn't see and threw it at him. It crashed somewhere behind him, somewhere outside of their force connection.

"You truly are a monster!"

"I am what they made me."

For the first time, Rey paused.

"What do you mean?"

"Read me Rey, as I read you. See my thoughts, my memories."

She stared at him wearily.

"Go on Rey, I want you to know everything. I want you to know me."

He slipped off the black gloves and held his hand out to her.

Slowly she crossed the room, her hand seemed to reach for his on its own accord. She hated it, the connection that pulled them together. Hated him more than anything in all the galaxies.

His thoughts rang through her mind:

_Why does the force connect us?_

Her hand neared his, she could not conceal the trembling of her fingers as they brushed against the sith lord.

The moment skin met skin, an electricity passed between them, she jerked her hand away but Kylo caught it quickly with his and intertwined their fingers, refusing to release her.

His dark eyes gleamed as he set his fascinated gaze upon her uncertain one.

"Focus Rey, open yourself to me and see _me_."

His voice was deep and inviting yet she caught the slight plea hidden in its tones.

Rey felt the darkness swirling around her, flooding her senses; intoxicating, all-consuming. The room around them seemed to disappear, as she fell deeper and deeper into his engulfing dark.

Then she saw him,

Ben, not Kylo. Sleeping sweetly, a serene look on his face she hardly believed could have ever existed with him. Moonlight flitted over his features. He was young, vulnerable, and suddenly she ached to reach out and hold him, to prevent his inevitable fall from grace.

A shadow appeared before them, obscuring the light from his face, Rey glanced up to see…

Luke?

A lightsaber ignited, the hum in such small quarters was deafening.

Ben opened his eyes slowly, confusing apparent in his groggy state.

The blue glow of the lightsaber shone on his face,

His catlike reflexes kicked in and in an instant he retrieved his own saber, blocking Luke from delivering his death strike.

Ben's face paled in fear and fury. Using the force, he pulled the rocks down around them, covering Luke and making his escape.

….

Rey's hand went limp in Kylo's grasp. He released he and it fell to her side. There were tears streaming down her face.

"This, this isn't true. You're a liar."

Kylo never broke her gaze.

"_He_ betrayed _me_, and he will get what he deserves."

"Ben-"

He silenced her with a sharp look; a warning with a flash of his teeth, raw and untamed hatred.

Ben- no Kylo. He was Kylo now. In his eyes she could see, Ben was dead. Kylo Ren, master of the darkside, sith lord, heir of Vader's bloodline, sat before her, allowing her to see his secrets.

But why?

"Because you matter to me Rey, more than you know."

She silently cursed as he read her thoughts with the same ease she read his.

Her eyes moved over his injuries, and she hesitated. She didn't want to ask but found herself unable to hold back.

"What happened?"

Kylo wiped his hand across his mouth and glanced at the scarlet smears across his skin.

He smiled wickedly,

"You, actually. Lord Snoke believes you are my weakness, that you may return me to the light, saving my broken soul yet."

Her eyes widened in shock and he chuckled quietly.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, my Rey of light, I will never serve the Jedi."

She walked over to where he sat on the bed. He tilted his head back, dark waves falling away from his eyes as he stared up at her.

Kylo was no Jedi, despite his training he chose not to mask his desires behind some practiced exterior, he stared at her with blatant hunger burning in his eyes.

She reached for him this time and without hesitation he laced his fingers with hers. She may be his enemy but he would never resist a chance to touch her.

Snoke was right, she was his weakness.

The corners of her mouth curved upwards in a small, sad smile.

"There is so much conflict within you and I know that you're afraid, I wake from your nightmares...but I know there is still light in you."

He licked his bloody teeth,

"And I can taste the darkness in you. You aren't cut out for the Jedi code. You have so much pain, anger, and passion that it would be impossible to just flip a switch and turn it all off. Come to me Rey, I will be your teacher. I'll show you how to live, really live. Not waste your years sacrificing yourself by the rules of those dusty old books."

Kylo could read it plainly in her eyes, he didn't even need to tap into her mind. She was leaning into him, captivated by his words. He swallowed hard, unaccustomed to the way she was suddenly gazing after him.

For a moment his heart leapt.

"Rey, you are not alone…"

She caressed her thumb over his hand,

"Neither are you."

"-No!"

They both turned to the cry, Luke was there and in an instant their connection was broken.

Kylo found himself alone in his room. His gaze lingered on the hand which had been holding hers moments before. He clenched it into a fist, knuckles turning white.

Luke had taken her away from him, no doubt poisoning her mind against him.

The only person he'd ever felt a true connection to. The first person who'd ever tried to see him, all of him.

He vowed to kill Luke Skywalker someday.

Burn his heart out, slowly, savoring the scent of seared skin.

…

The end of the world had come as ashes rained from the skies. Good, evil, it all seemed to blur together in the thick gray smoke.

Red lightsaber seared against blue. Sparks flew as both the Knight of Ren and Skywalker's last hope pushed against one another. Equally matched the sabers' hum grew in intensity as they became hotter, and burned through their hilt. Kylo and Rey were forced to drop their weapons as they fell to their knees.

They faced each other, all ragged breaths and blood stains.

As he stared at her, Kylo's dark eyes betrayed him with the barest hint of tenderness.

"You are different Rey. You are this overwhelming bright soul...yet there's more to you, scratching away within, trying to break to the surface, you're attracted to the darkness. You seek out its hidden depths. You may be on the side of light but your heart yearns for the shadows of a moonless night. You may have come from nothing, you may be no one...but not to me. To me you are a worthy partner… Join me Rey, we can rebuild this broken world together, not in darkness or in light but a balance of both, of everything in between. The very inbetween where you and I exist as one."

For the second time he reached his hand out to her.

For the second time she hesitated.

"Rey, trust me, see me as only you, can truly see me."

"Kylo…" His chosen name slipped from her lips, the name of Ben forgotten.

"Please, don't go down this path, don't give way to this madness you're dwelling in."

He remained with his hand outreached.

"There is no salvation for me, save one...and she's standing here before me, deciding both our fates. How does it feel, to have such power?"

"It feels...like I am a queen."

"You are, _my _queen."

He growled the words possessively.

Rey ignored his outreached hand and closing the distance between them she placed her hands on either side of his face. She let her fingers trail along this cheek, over the scar she had put there. She daringly brought her lips to his, brushing them against his.

His surprise was evident as he remained as still as stone until he crumbled beneath the sensation of her soft mouth and with eager hands he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her atop him, his other hand clenched in her hair, his lips crushed against hers, deepening their forbidden kiss.

Rey felt him press himself against her. She closed her eyes, falling into the feelings he ignited within her.

Suddenly she pulled away.

"I- I can't."

He still held her on top of him, a murderous gleam to his gaze.

"You can't or you won't? Aren't you tired of running from me? From your destiny?"

She said nothing, only stared wide-eyed at him.

Kylo sighed.

"Rey, I want you...but I will not force you. You must join me of your own will...I know how it feels to have your choices ripped away from you, and whatever monster I am, I will not do that to you."

She was silent once again.

Kylo closed his eyes.

"Tell me, Rey...Tell me you choose me."

His voice had softened to a whisper.

What a strange sensation, the tingling of his stomach, the quickening pace of his heart, his nerves set on edge as he awaited her response.

His heart sank as the truth burned in his mind... he cared for her, he cared so damn much it physically hurt as the seconds stretched on like years.

_Don't leave me, Rey. Please._

He reached into her mind and found...nothing.

She was closed to him.

So, this was it. She would return to that hollow empty place of the Jedi, cut off from all things that make life worth living, denying all feelings of anger or...passion.

Her lips suddenly curved into a smile, as she felt her choice solidify in her heart.

"I choose you, Kylo. I choose the shadows of a moonless night."

...

Fin.


End file.
